Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Belmont Abbey College Selects Architect for New Performing Arts Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 11/21/24

Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., recently announced the selection of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) to serve as the project architect for its new Visual and Performing Arts Center, according to a news release. The 1,000-seat theater will serve the college and local community as a home for theater, visual arts, performing arts, art exhibitions, and other cultural and educational events.

“We look forward to partnering with Belmont Abbey College and the surrounding region to bring their vision to reality,” said Tom Balke, AIA, Little’s Community Studio Principal. “Creating a performance and cultural space that provides unique experiences while reflecting this community’s aspirations is an important driver of the design outcomes.”

The project also involves renovating the Haid Theatre on the Bellmont Abbey College campus. Community feedback determined that the 200-seat theater can’t meet the college’s current needs, but that it is of enough historical importance to preserve alongside the new space, the news release reports.

"Belmont Abbey is to be commended for putting together an advisory group to provide input into planning for this project,” said Reeves McGlohon, member of the advisory committee and retired superintendent of Gaston County Schools. “They have supported the advisory group and have listened to what we have had to say. There is no doubt in my mind that the work of the advisory group in conjunction with the Abbey will lead to a final product that will meet the needs of the college and the community at large.”

The North Carolina General Assembly approved $9 million in funding for the project in October 2023.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.